Plastic ball valve ball seal means

ABSTRACT

A plastic ball valve having improved ball sealing means.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a division of application Ser. No. 07/817,698, filed Jan. 7,1992 in the name of Ricky E. Spears, et al.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to valves and is directed more particularly toplastic ball valves of the type typically used with plastic pipe in gasdistribution lines.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The provision of plastic ball valves for use in plastic pipe,particularly in gas distribution systems, is well known. U.S. Pat. No.4,047,275 issued Sep. 13, 1977 to Earl A. Bake, et al, for example,describes an all-plastic valve and a method for assembling the valve.The Bake et al valve includes a main body and two end sections which,with components assembled therein, are fused together to provide a valvebody having conduits extending therefrom and adapted for connection to aplastic pipe.

In keeping with environmental concerns, it is deemed beneficial toreduce to the extent possible, and eliminate where possible, any leakagefrom such valves. Accordingly, there is need in the industry for a valveadapted for use underground in gas distribution system, as in the Bakeet al valve, but improved with respect to the sealing means resident inthe valve to prevent, or at least minimize, undesirable emissions.

It is also deemed beneficial to provide such a valve in which the numberof parts is reduced and/or the number of major steps in assembling thevalve is reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide improvedsealing means for a ball member of a plastic ball valve, of the typeabove described, which sealing means may be put in place during assemblyof the valve and may be depended upon to self-adjust to movement of theball member during assembly of the valve, to maintain sealing engagementwith the ball member.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear,and in accordance with a feature of the present invention there isprovided in a ball valve comprising a body member, conduit meansextending from the body member, the conduit means defining a flowpassageway therein extending through the chamber, the body member havinga bore therein normal to the flow passageway, a ball member disposed inthe chamber and movable between closed and open positions in the flowpassageway, a valve stem disposed in the bore and connected to the ballmember, a pair of annular seals disposed in the chamber and adapted toengage the ball member, and a seal retainer for each annular seal andadapted each to retain one of the annular seals, an improvement in whichthe seal retainers are movable in grooves in the chambers to permitfloating of the seals, such that the seals and the seal retainermaintains contact which the ball member in assembly of the valve.

The above and other features of the invention, including various noveldetails of construction and combinations of parts, will now be moreparticularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings andpointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particularvalve embodying the invention is shown by way of illustration only andnot as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features ofthis invention may be employed in various and numerous embodimentswithout departing from the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which is shown anillustrative embodiment of the invention from which its novel featuresand advantages will be apparent.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a plastic ball valve;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the ball valve, taken along line II--II ofFIG. 1, illustrative of an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the first body portion of thevalve, as seen from the second body portion.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that an illustrativeembodiment of the invention includes a first plastic valve member 2having a first body portion 4. A first conduit portion 6 extends fromthe first body portion 4 and the first conduit and body portions 6,4have therein a first flow passageway 8 (FIG. 2). A valve stem housingportion 10 extends from the first body portion 4 substantially normal tosaid first conduit portion 6 and has therein a bore 12. The first bodyportion 4 has therein a cavity 14, the cavity 14 being intersected bythe first flow passageway 8 and the bore 12.

The illustrative ball valve further includes a second plastic valvemember 22 (FIGS. 1 and 2) having a second body portion 24. A secondconduit portion 26 extends from the second body portion 24 and thesecond conduit and body portions 26, 24 have therein a second flowpassageway 28 (FIG. 2), adapted to be aligned with the first flowpassageway 8. The second body portion 24 has therein a wall portion 30adapted to close the cavity 14 so as to form a chamber 32.

The first and second valve members 2, 22 are adapted to be fusedtogether to form a complete valve body 34.

On the valve stem housing portion 10, there is rotatably mounted ahandle 36 having therein a bore 38 (FIG. 2) comprising a continuation ofthe valve stem housing portion bore 12. In the bore 12,38 there isdisposed a valve stem 40 connected to a ball member 42 disposed in thechamber 32. The valve stem 40 is rotatable with the handle 36 to effectmovement of the ball member 42 in the chamber 32 between open and closedpositions relative to the flow passageways 8, 28.

In the handle 36, there is a recess 44 (FIG. 2) in a top surface 46 ofthe handle. Extending from the recess 44 is a segment 48 of the handlebore 38 of reduced diameter. A screw 50 is disposed in the bore segment48, with a head portion 52 of the screw 50 residing in the recess 44. Ashank portion 54 of the screw threadedly engages the valve stem 40.

The valve stem 40 includes a flange 60 extending radially outwardly fromthe stem and disposed in the chamber 32. The flange 60 is provided witha surface 62 engageable with an upper surface 64 of the chamber. Anelastomeric sealing ring 70 is disposed around the valve stem, abuttingthe stem, abutting the flange surface 62, and disposed in an annulargroove 72 in a wall 74. Upon clockwise rotation of the screw 50, thestem 40 and the flange 60 are caused to move upwardly, as viewed in FIG.2, with the flange 60 forced to move toward the chamber upper surface64. Such movement of the flange 60 compresses the sealing ring 70axially of the stem, causing expansion of the sealing ring radially ofthe stem to effect a tight seal between the stem 40 and the valve body34, to prevent leakage from the chamber 32 around the stem 40.Accordingly, the screw 50 comprises a seal-setting screw which permitsselective setting of sealing pressure exercised by the sealing ring 70.

The handle 36 is of a plastic material. After the seal-setting screw 50has been turned as desired, the handle recess 44 may be covered with aplastic plug member 76 (FIG. 1). Preferably, the plug member 76 is fusedto the handle 36, as by ultrasonic welding, to hermetically isolate thescrew head portion 52 from the elements and from tampering, as well asto effect an environmental seal. If preferred, however, the plug member76 and the recess 44 may be complementarily configured for other meansof bonding, such as for a "snap-in" arrangement, whereby the plug member76 is simply pushed into a location past detents, or the like, notshown, which snap behind the plug to permanently lock the plug member inplace.

The valve body 34 is provided with a pair of annular grooves 80,82 opento the cavity 14. In the groove 80, there is disposed a first seatmember 84, which preferably is of an elastomeric material and whichrests in a seat member portion 86 (FIG. 2) of the groove 80. The firstseat member 84 is adapted to abut the ball member 42. In the groove 80,there is also disposed a first seat member retainer 90, which preferablyis of a rigid plastic of an L-shaped configuration in cross-section, andis movably retained in an elongated seat retainer portion 92 of thegroove 80. A head portion 91 of the seat member retainer 90 abuts theball member 42 and serves to retain the first seat member 84. The seatretainer portion 92 of the groove 80 is defined by inner and outerconcentric walls interconnected by an end wall formed in the chamber andpermits slidable movement of the first seat member retainer 90 thereinaxially of the valve flow path. The first seat member retainer 90 isprovided with outwardly extending detents 93 which abut a wall of theretainer portion 92 of the groove 80.

Similarly, in the groove 82, there is located a second seat member 94,preferably of a elastomeric material, which rests in a seat memberportion 96 of the groove 82. The second seat member 94 is adapted toabut the ball member 42. In the groove 82, there is also located asecond seat member retainer 97, of a rigid plastic and L-shaped incross-section (FIG. 2). The second seat member retainer 97 is movablyretained in an elongated seat retainer portion 98 of the groove 82. Ahead portion 99 of the L-head second seat member retainer 97 abuts theball member 42 and serves to retain the second seat member 94. The seatretainer portion 98 of the groove 82 permits is defined by inner andouter concentric walls inteconnected by an end wall formed in thechamber and slidable movement of the second seat member retainer 97therein axially of the valve flow path. The second seat member retainer97 is provided with outwardly extending detents 95 which abut a wall ofthe retainer portion 98 of the groove 82.

Prior to assembly of the valve body 34, the above-mentioned annulargroove 80, including portions 86 and 92, are disposed in the first valvebody portion 4. A portion 100 of the annular groove 82 is disposed inthe first valve body portion 4. The remainder 102 of the annular groove82, including the seat member portion 96 and part of the seat retainerportion 98, are located in the second valve body portion 24.

In assembly of the valve, the annular first seat member 84 is placed inthe seat member portion 86 of the annular groove 80. The annular firstseat member retainer 90 is then slid into the seat retainer portion 92of the annular groove 80. The valve stem 40 and ball member 42,connected together, are then inserted into the valve stem housingportion 10 of the first body portion 4, and the cavity 14, such that theball member 42 rests against the first seat member 84 and the first seatmember retainer 90, and the valve stem 40 upstands from the valve stemhousing 10.

The second valve member 22, with the second seat member 94 mounted inthe second seat member portion 96 of the groove 82, and the second seatretainer 97 resting on a wall portion of the groove portion 102, is thenmated with the first valve member 2 and the two members are fusedtogether, to capture the ball member 42, the seat members 84, 94 and theseat member retainers 90,97 in the chamber 32. As the fusing processtakes place, and the valve body portions 4, 24 are pressed together, theseat member retainers 90, 97 slide in the groove portions 92, 98 toclamp the seat members 84,94 in ball abutting positions.

The screw 50 is then inserted into the handle bore 48 and threadedlyengaged with the valve stem 40. The screw 50 is turned to set thesealing ring 70, as above described. The plug member 76 is then fused orotherwise bound, in the handle recess 44 to isolate the screw headportion 52.

There is thus provided a plastic ball valve having only two bodyportions fused together, a valve stem sealing means which can be setfrom outside the assembled valve, means for then isolating the sealsetting means, and sealing means in the valve chamber which adapt tochanging conditions in the valve chamber during assembly.

It is to be understood that the present invention is by no means limitedto the particular construction herein disclosed and/or shown in thedrawings, but also comprises any modification or equivalents within thescope of the claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:
 1. In a ball valvecomprising a valve body, conduit portions extending from said valvebody, said valve body having a chamber therein, said conduit portionsdefining a flow passageway therein extending through said chamber, saidvalve body having a bore therein normal to said flow passageway, a ballmember disposed in said chamber and movable between closed and openpositions in said flow passageway, a valve stem disposed in said boreand connected to said ball member, a pair of annular seats disposed insaid chamber and adapted to engage said ball member, and a seat retainerfor each of said annular seats adapted to retain one of said annularseats, an improvement in which said seat retainers are slidably movablein respective annular grooves in said chamber, each of said groovesbeing defined by inner and outer concentric walls interconnected by anend wall formed in said chamber, each of said grooves being disposedconcentrically of said flow path and extending in a direction axially ofsaid flow path, said slidable movement of said seat retainers therebybeing in said direction axially of said flow path and between said innerand outer walls to permit floating of said seats, such that said seatsand said seat retainers maintain contact with said ball member inassembly of said valve.
 2. The ball valve in accordance with claim 1 inwhich each of said grooves is defined by said chamber and includes aseat member groove portion and a seat retainer groove portion, said seatmembers comprising annular elastomeric rings disposed in said seatmember groove portions and said seat retainers comprising annular rigidrings disposed in said seat retainer groove portions, said seat retainerbeing configured so as in cooperation with said seat member grooveportions to retain said seat members.
 3. The ball valves in accordancewith claim 2 in which said seat retainer groove portions are elongatedin said axial direction and open on one side to said seat member grooveportions.
 4. The ball valve in accordance with claim 3 in which saidseat retainers are L-shaped in cross-section, a head portion of each ofsaid seat retainers engaging said ball and one of said seat members.